The 17th annual Starlight Spectacular's wee-hours bicycle ride will start Saturday, June 11 at 11:59 p.m.
Up to 1,800 cyclists are expected to join the 14- to 22-mile non-competitive cruise, depending on the weather and how many signups come in,
now that the early signup period ($10 discount from the “late” price) is over.
“We hope good weather will spur people to come out,” said Vince Cloward of the event-organizing Trails and Open Space Coalition.
Eighteen hundred participants would be a record. The biggest turnout ever was 1,479 in 2008, he said. The last two years have been slightly
below that number because of weather issues.
Much of the ride goes through the Westside, including the start and finish at the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, as well as a rest
stop at Bancroft Park as riders in the latter part of the ride wheel west through Old Colorado City along Colorado Avenue.
The cost to participate as an individual is $45 from now until the event (up $5 from last year's fee to cover increased event costs, according to
Cloward). Families (up to four people) can ride for $85, active-duty military and seniors for $40, and children aged 6 to 15 for $25.
People can sign up as late as 11:30 p.m. the night of the event, but they must have helmets, headlights and tail light, according to TOSC safety
rules.
The fee entitles a rider to a meal before the ride (activities at the Visitor Center start at 10 p.m.) and a breakfast inside the center afterward.
New this year is an optional Garden loop for people choosing to take the shorter distance (which would make it about 17 miles), Cloward said.
For more information, call the Coalition at 633-6884 or go to trailsandopenspaces.org.